Video games. Something nearly every single person will play at some point in their lives. Every year, thousands of new games are published and enjoyed worldwide, but this year, there are some extra heavy hitters. Of course, Grand Theft Auto 6 will finally release on November 19 of this year, 13 years after GTA 5 was released. But GTA 6 is not the only big game dropping in the coming months.
On May 19, students who preordered the deluxe edition of TT Games’ LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight will be able to play early, while others can play the highly anticipated title on May 22. The game will be nostalgic for many people, old or young, who have played any of the prior three LEGO Batman games (or LEGO DC Supervillains).
The game’s combat system is heavily inspired by Rocksteady Studios’ critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham series, which was a great surprise for everyone. It also features a massive open world set in Gotham City, with various mini-puzzles and collectibles for gamers to solve when they beat the main game. But what really got people talking was the game’s story itself, which will include stories from different Batman movies and other media, beginning with Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins.
When asked about why he is eager to play the game, Sean Carey ‘28 commented, “ The game is going to bring back [nostalgic features].”
While it may seem like Legacy of the Dark Knight is a ‘kids game’, it appeals to all audiences, whether that be a young person who has never played a LEGO Batman game before, or an adult who played one of the first three and enjoyed them. The game even has the classic LEGO Batman: The Videogame costumes for Batman, Robin, and Nightwing.
Another highly anticipated game dropping this year is Electronic Arts’ UFC 6, the next installment in the EA Sports UFC franchise. Preorderers of the deluxe edition–Max “Blessed” Holloway as the cover athlete–can step into the Octagon—the fighting cage— on June 12, and people who preordered the standard edition–Alex “Poatan” Pereira as the cover athlete–can play on June 19. The main selling point of the game is the revamped striking. One of the major criticisms of UFC 5 was that all the fighters had the same animations, meaning that, besides their models, they felt very similar to play as.
However, in UFC 6, it will feel significantly different. For example, a clip in the trailer shows Alex Pereira throwing a lead calf kick in the same way he does in real life. The game also introduces a new feature called ‘flow state’, which will increase a fighter’s striking or grappling stats when a meter is filled. With these new, unique gameplay animations, players will feel much more immersed when playing, improving the overall UFC 6 experience.
As a UFC fan and UFC 5 player, Cristian Almada ‘28 has high hopes for the gameplay, saying that it will be “exciting and more interesting” because it will “[feel different from] the last one.”
One of the biggest criticisms of UFC 5 was that it felt far too similar to UFC 4, making the game seem less worth buying. The major revamping of how the fighters fight gives UFC 6 its own unique identity and makes every fight feel different.
As summer break approaches, it is the perfect time to go and buy these new games for endless hours of entertainment.
